(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit contactor, and a method and apparatus for production of the integrated circuit contactor, the integrated circuit contactor used to electrically test an integrated circuit of a large-scale integration (LSI) device with terminals of the integrated circuit being connected to contacts of the integrated circuit contactor. Further, the present invention relates to a method of testing an integrated circuit having terminals by using an integrated circuit contactor.
Recently, there is an increasing demand for an LSI device having a high operating speed and a high integration level. In conformity with this demand, it is needed to achieve fine-pitch interconnects of terminals on the LSI device and contacts of a testing device. Hence, it is desired to provide an integrated circuit contactor which is used for electrical testing of an integrated circuit of the LSI device with fine-pitch interconnects of the integrated circuit terminals and contacts of the contactor. Further, it is desired to assure the reliability of electric connections between the integrated circuit terminals and the contactor. When testing the integrated circuit with the integrated circuit contactor, it is necessary that the integrated circuit contactor assures the reliability of electric connections between the terminals of the integrated circuit and the contacts of the contactor.
(2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 40 shows a conventional integrated circuit contactor which has been developed to electrically test an integrated circuit of an LSI device with terminals of the integrated circuit being connected to contacts of the integrated circuit contactor. The conventional integrated circuit testing device of FIG. 40 is also called a membrane contactor. Hereinafter, the conventional integrated circuit testing device of FIG. 40 will be called the contactor 1.
The contactor 1 of FIG. 40 includes a base 2 of an insulating material (such as a polyimide resin), a plurality of pads 4 of a conductive material (such as copper Cu), and a plurality of contacts 3 of another conductive material (such as nickel Ni). For the sake of convenience of description, a single contact 3 and a single pad 4 are shown in FIG. 40.
In the contactor 1 of FIG. 40, the contacts 3 of the conductive material, such as nickel, are formed on the pads 4 as the metal projections on the base 2 by using a plating technique. When testing an integrated circuit with the contactor 1, terminals of the integrated circuit are connected to the contacts 3 of the contactor 1. To assure electric connections between the integrated circuit terminals and the contacts 3, the contacts 3 of the contactor 1 are covered by a plating of gold (Au). In the contactor 1, external terminals (not shown) are provided on the periphery of the base 2, and the pads 4 are connected to the external terminals by a wiring (not shown). As the contacts 3 are electrically connected through the pads 4 to the external terminals, electric signals on the integrated circuit terminals can be respectively detected from the external terminals of the contactor 1 when testing the integrated circuit with the contactor 1.
In a conventional LSI socket, a leaf spring or the like is provided therein to ensure electric connections between the integrated circuit terminals and the conventional LSI socket. It is difficult for the conventional LSI socket to achieve fine pitch interconnects of terminals of an LSI device and contacts of the conventional LSI socket. However, the contactor 1 having the contacts 3 is useful to achieve fine pitch interconnects of the terminals of the LSI device and the contacts 3 of the contactor 1.
In the contactor 1 of FIG. 40, the contacts 3 can be easily formed with accuracy of the positions thereof, and a large number of contacts can be simultaneously formed on the base 2 by using the plating technique.
However, the production of the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 is considerably expensive. In a case of the contactor 1, the contacts 3 are formed on the pads 4 by using the plating technique. It takes several hours (for example, four hours in a certain case) to completely produce the contacts 3 by plating of the conductive material. The production period of the contactor 1 is relatively long, and the manufacturing cost is considerably high. Hence, the productivity of the membrane contactor 1 for volume production becomes low. In order to increase the productivity, it is necessary to increase the number of plating baths and/or the number of masking machines.
Further, it is difficult that the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 is continuously supplied to the production line of LSI devices so as to keep up with the start of volume production of the LSI devices because the production period of the contactor 1 is long. In order to suit the requirements of recent LSI devices, such as a multi-chip module, various designs of integrated circuit contactors for testing bare chips or wafers are required. However, the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 is difficult to meet the requirements of such LSI devices.
Further, it is difficult that the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 provides adequate flexibility for the configuration of the contacts 3 on the base 2. In the case of the contactor 1, the contacts 3 are formed on the pads 4 by using the plating technique. The contacts 3 are often formed with a flat surface or a hemispherical surface by the plating. To ensure reliability of electric connections between terminals of an LSI device and contacts of an integrated circuit contactor, it is desirable that the contacts of the contactor are formed with a projecting edge having a roughness which can be stably held in contact with the terminals of the LSI device.